Despite Yourself
In The mirror universe In The USS Defiant (NCC-1764) ' |image= |series= |production=110 |producer(s)= |story= |script= Sean Cochran |director= Jonathan Frakes |imdbref=tt6011050 |guests=Wilson Cruz as Hugh Culber, Mary Chieffo as L'Rell, Sam Vartholomeos as Danby Connor / Danby Connor (mirror), Emily Coutts as Keyla Detmer / Keyla Detmer (mirror), Patrick Kwok-Choon as Rhys, Julianne Grossman as Discovery Computer, Sara Mitich as Airiam, Ali Momen as Kamran Gant, Oyin Oladejo as Joann Owosekun, Ronnie Rowe Jr. as Bryce, Chris Violette as Britch Weeton and Romaine Waite as Troy Januzzi |previous_production=Into the Forest I Go |next_production=The Wolf Inside |episode=DSC S01E10 |airdate=7 January 2018 |previous_release=Into the Forest I Go |next_release=The Wolf Inside |story_date(s)= |previous_story=Into the Forest I Go |next_story=The Wolf Inside }} Summary After the last spore drive jump that Stamets performed, the Discovery is trapped in a parallel universe where Vulcans, Andorians and Klingons are allies in the fight against the xenophobic Terran Empire. Stamets alternatingly enters a catatonic and a frantic state. As Lorca doubts that Dr. Culber keeps a sufficient professional distance, he decides to assign another doctor to the patient. When Tyler is sent to retrieve a computer core from the remains of a Klingon ship, his PTSD resurfaces, and he barely manages to perform the task. He visits L'Rell in the brig, who insinuates that he is not the person he believes to be. Tyler seeks Dr. Culber's help, who agrees to perform further tests on him. After the investigation of the computer data, it turns out that the ship has switched places with the Discovery from the parallel universe, here commanded by Captain Tilly. The Lorca of the parallel universe attempted to overthrow the emperor, who sent Captain Burnham of the ISS Shenzhou to apprehend the traitor. But she was killed by his followers. The emperor had Captain Lorca's ship, the ISS Buran, destroyed, while Lorca himself managed to escape. Our Lorca finds out that the USS Defiant crossed over to the Mirror Universe without the use of the spore drive, but information on the classified incident would only be accessible to active captains. He and Burnham come up with the plan to pretend that she is still alive in the parallel universe, and to return to the ISS Shenzhou with Lorca as her bounty. "Captain" Tilly calls the Shenzhou, now commanded by Connor. He reluctantly agrees to let Burnham return to her rightful place on the ship, with her valuable prisoner. While they prepare to beam over, Dr. Culber finds out that Tyler was surgically and mentally altered by the Klingons. Tyler kills him. He then rushes to the transporter platform and beams over to the Shenzhou with Burnham and Lorca. Aboard the Shenzhou, Connor tries to assassinate Burnham, but she defeats and kills him, which earns her the appreciation of "her" crew. Tyler is already waiting in her ready room, apparently ready to retrieve the information on the Defiant, while Lorca suffers in a agony booth. Errors and Explanations EAS Continuity # It is obvious why the Constitution-class Defiant was only shown as a very coarse wireframe. The producers don't dare yet to out Discovery as a visual reboot, which is why the appearance of this ship class in the reboot universe remains "classified". It is a similar obfuscation tactic as not mentioning the "Ferengi" in ENT: "Acquisition" and the "Borg" in ENT: "Regeneration". It is no big deal that the Constitution-class USS Defiant NCC-1764 looks somewhat different by now (with indentations in the saucer and a kink in the nacelle struts). We have to keep in mind that the ship arrived in the Mirror Universe as long as a hundred years ago. It could have seen quite a number of refits. The only slight oddity is that the monitor shows the original prefix "USS", although we may assume it was changed to "ISS". Nitpicking # It would have been a good idea to transmit the procedure to detect cloaked vessels to Starfleet right away, before engaging the spore drive. It could have been intercepted, making the information worthless. Internet Movie Database Continuity # Props/set pieces in a side room off the ISS Shenzhou's transporter room have markings from Starfleet on them, not the Terran Empire. Possibly prepared for use in the event of an incursion into the Prime Universe. TV Tropes Headscratchers # Why would the Terrans change their logo after Archer's time and then change it back for Kirk's? Seems strange, although the Doylist explanation is probably because they thought it looked cooler. (TV Tropes) Regime change, maybe? Some new Emperor or Empress takes out the old one and decides they want to make changes on a whim, and the imperial forces must obey or die (if the punishment for mere thoughtcrime is any indication). Category:EpisodesCategory:Discovery